By Allison Tait. Every author, whether aspiring or emerging or established, dreams of writing a bestseller. A book that will rocket up the sales charts, whether propelled by word of mouth or prize-winning status, dragging its writer behind it into a dream life of champagne and literary lunches. Whether the
By Angela Slatter. In your travels as a new writer, you’ve probably heard the term ‘beta reader’ but you might not quite know what that means. So, what’s a beta reader? A beta reader is someone who reads through your completed manuscript and gives their feedback. So, not just someone
Overwhelmed by the crowds and bustle of your local writers’ festival? Breaking out in a cold sweat at the very thought of making connections when you don’t know anybody there? If that describes you, fellow introvert (and Australian Writers Centre CEO) Valerie Khoo offers some great tips for meeting new
By Allison Tait. When people talk about landing pages, writers seem to look the other way, assuming that landing pages are for people with, I don’t know, products to sell. The fact is, though, that if you are an author, with a book to sell, you have a product. Not
Congratulations to Al Campbell and Sandhya Parappukkaran, both Australian Writers’ Centre graduates, who are finalists in the Queensland Literary Awards 2022! Al Campbell is author of the incredible novel The Keepers. As a graduate of several Australian Writers’ Centre courses, including the Write Your Novel program, Al’s wonderful story has
What are the five Ps for making sure you have the best writers festival experience? Planning, pre-Booking, packing a lunch, remembering to make time for pleasure, and purchasing great books! Find out why these five Ps make such a difference with Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo, onsite at Sydney
Sarah Vaughan studied English at Oxford and went on to become a journalist. She spent eleven years at The Guardian as a news reporter and political correspondent before leaving to freelance and write fiction. Her first thriller, Anatomy of a Scandal, was an instant international bestseller, translated into twenty-two languages,
Few writers enjoy the process of writing their author bio and many succumb to the siren song of imposter syndrome and downplay their author credentials. Find out how to own the fact you’re a writer from the very first line with Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo.
Matthew Ryan Davies is also the author of Things We Bury and (as Matt Davies) This Thing of Darkness, a contemporary young adult novel about guilt, grief, love and forgiveness set in modern-day Melbourne. As a manuscript, This Thing of Darkness was highly commended in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. He’s
By Valerie Khoo. In the cold weather, is anything better than curling up with a nice cosy mystery? If you’re not sure what a cosy mystery is, it’s a subgenre of crime fiction where the main character is often an amateur sleuth. There is minimal graphic violence or explicit sex
The winners and shortlist of the 2022 Furphy Literary Award have been announced. Acclaimed writer and poet Cate Kennedy won the Award for her story ‘Art and Life’, with second prize awarded to Lisa Moule for ‘The Game’. And Natalie Vella has been awarded third place for her story ‘Winter
What are the dos and don’ts about approaching publishers at a festival? Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo lays out the tips you need to make a good impression and find the publisher that’s the right fit for your book.
Kelly Rimmer is the author of historical and contemporary fiction, including The German Wife, The Secret Daughter, The Things We Cannot Say, and The Warsaw Orphan, with more than 2 million copies of her novels sold to date. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and have appeared on bestseller
By Diane Connell. If you had visited my high school and asked my English teacher to point out the student least likely to end up writing for a living, he would have pointed to me, the irritant sitting at the back of the classroom scribbling what I thought were hilarious
Ever come home from a writers’ festival disappointed by the number of other writers you connected with? Sometimes it’s got more to do with the actions you should take before and after the event! Join Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo as she offers tips for preparing before the event
By Allison Tait. When you’re beavering away on a manuscript, dreaming of being a published author, getting that first publishing deal can feel a million miles away. But it happens! And, while sometimes publishing works in mysterious ways, the truth is that for most authors it’s about being in the
Rae Cairns is a former youth worker who has turned to a life of crime… writing. She is fascinated with how ordinary people manage when faced with extraordinary circumstances, and the lengths everyday characters will go when all they love is put at risk. She writes crime with heart; thriller
By Allison Tait. “Write as though no-one’s watching.” “Your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect.” “Your first draft is just you telling the story to yourself.” There’s a lot of information around about first drafts and how they can be messy embryos of a polished idea. What’s more difficult
The best stories engage the reader – making you FEEL something. That emotion might involve being nervous for the fate of a character, angry at a detective missing a vital clue, sad at a loss, or rolling in fits of laughter. While most of these emotions must be earned through
By Allison Tait. If you are searching for writing tips, it doesn’t take long to discover that one of the (if not THE) top tips offered over and over is this one: “Read!” It makes sense, if you consider writing to be a “words in = words out” equation. The
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